Revelations and Reflections
by becca85
Summary: After eleven years, the day had finally come.


**A/N: I recently started rereading the series again and I was prompted to write this one-shot piece after starting the first book again. I will admit that I embellished a few events when I couldn't find details that supported or denied my take on what may have happened. If you have more information that contradicts major details here, let me know and I will adjust the story as needed. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters or ideas created by J.K. Rowling. I borrowed them for the entertainment and amusement of my audience. **

**SUMMARY: After eleven years, the day had finally come.**

**GENRE: Drama**

**RATING: PG**

**DATE: February 1, 2011**

**::~*~::**

Minerva marched purposefully down the corridor, torches flaring up in front of her and extinguishing behind her. Her robes billowed out behind her, giving her the appearance of flying, even though both of her feet were firmly treading the stone floor. Regardless of the fact that the corridor, nay the entire castle, was almost virtually empty, with the exception of a few staff members flitting about, readying for the new school year, she still walked with such a severe countenance that anyone who saw her would think that she was expecting to find students up to mischief around any corner.

It was the twenty-second of July and the time of year when eleven-year-olds across the nation were due to receive a most precious letter, expected by some and completely catching others by infinite surprise. Minerva still had much to do to ready the letters for delivery as she, herself, was in charge of the acceptance letters and normally she was more focused on the task each year, but events occurring over the summer had distracted her and it was only due to a passing comment by Albus that she had realized she was dreadfully behind.

Sweeping into her office, she moved swiftly to her desk and sat down, barely sparing a glance at the stacks of parchment upon her desk. Beckoning with a finger, she summoned a quill from the top shelf of a nearby bookcase, and it floated directly to her outstretched hand. Wasting no time, she set it over a stack of blank parchment and whispered a word—_Acceptio_. The quill immediately went to work by itself, scribing the preset message in Minerva's script. "Dear , We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress." When the quill completed the letter, the parchment flew off the stack and started another stack of semi-complete letters, while the quill continued on the next blank sheet. Minerva watched for a moment to ensure it was performing perfectly and than turned her eyes back to another small stack on her desk.

Rifling through the sheets, she assessed that it was all school related. The very top sheet brought a frown to her mouth and she wondered why it had been placed on her desk instead of Albus'. It was a notice from the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, requesting a visit to the school before the term began. Minerva put the letter off to the side, intending to speak with Albus later that morning. The next was a request from Severus. He desired another two meters added to the width of his potions classroom. He cited the reason being that he had never taught a double potions class before and he would need the room for the larger class size. She made a note to ask Filius to add the requested two meters to the classroom as he was exceptionally talented with those types of charms, and she simply didn't have the time to oversee it herself. The third sheet was a crudely written note from Hagrid. The contents caused a chill to run down her spine and she shivered, in spite of the warm room. Hagrid wrote that he had found an injured unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. It wasn't dead, but the injuries were quite severe, that it wouldn't be long until it was. He suspected it had been attacked by someone or something. Minvera's heart went out to Hagrid who cared so deeply for all creatures, especially as the evidence in the form of circular splotches on the parchment informed her that he was taking this quite hard. He concluded his letter by saying that he was going to be spending a few nights in the Forest to try and find out what happened. She silently wished him luck.

The next couple of sheets were the list of first year students expected that fall. She needed the list to fill in the student names on the letters later and she started to place the sheets off to the side when her curiosity was piqued. She wondered what influential wizarding families had children starting in September. She most definitely was not one of those teachers who showed favoritism towards one student over another, but she was still interested in learning who her new students were going to be. Her eyes flicked down the list, scanning the names.

_Susan Bones_. _Her poor family. I hope it has not left her in any kind of emotional distress. She comes from such a long line of powerful magic. I'll assess her emotional state during the first couple of weeks._

_Vincent Crabbe. _His father had been a Death Eater during the Wizarding War, but had pleaded the _Imperius Curse_ and gotten off clean, returning home to raise his son.

_Gregory Goyle. Another son of a "cursed" Death Eater._

_Neville Longbottom. _Minerva's eyes closed in quiet reflection. _Another victim of the Wizarding War, the poor child was left to be raised by his paternal grandmother. _Minerva's eyes opened suddenly. Her thoughts started running rampant in her mind. _I wonder if... They were born about the same time, I think. Is his name... _She scrolled down the list, bypassing some other names, though the name "Malfoy" did register with her. _Another son of a "cursed" Death Eater. This should be a very interesting year for Slytherin. _

Her breath caught in her throat when her eyes reached a name that had become, oh, so familiar to her over the years. Had it really been ten years since that horrible night? She had trouble believing that so many years had already flown past, but the list in her hand would never lie.

Harry Potter was turning eleven.

She put the list down gingerly on her desk and closed her eyes. She could remember that night well, as it was likely something she would never forget. It was the end of the Wizarding War. There had been rumors growing in intensity in the weeks before it happened. It had gotten to the point where the Potters were forced into hiding in order to protect their son, only a year old at the time. Oh, how cruelly they had been betrayed! Minerva took a deep, shaking breath as she fought to keep control of herself. The emotions elicited by that night almost brought her to tears, even in memory.

It wasn't until Minerva had spoken to Albus the night Harry was left in the care of his only living relations, that she had learned the whole sad story. _She had traveled through the main room of the Leaky Cauldron in the dark hours of the early morning on November 1 only to collide with Hagrid who had just appeared from one of the private back parlors. He had seemed quite anxious and preoccupied. He didn't even recognize she was standing in front of him until after she had loudly said his name for the third time. She asked him what he was up to and he kept avoiding eye contact and side-stepping the question until she bluntly told him she would have the truth from him before he left the building...or else. He confessed all, which hadn't been much. Albus had tasked him with a trip of the utmost secrecy. He gruffly informed Minerva that Albus would be mighty angry with him if he told anymore. She knew not to press the issue, instead asking where Albus was then. Hagrid looked uncomfortable and said he didn't know but he did know that he was supposed to meet him at number four, Privet Drive in Surrey at ten o'clock that night. Minerva let Hagrid go, and resolved to travel to Surrey to await Albus there and find out exactly what was going on. By that time, she had already heard whispered rumors that Voldemort had vanished. She suspected Albus' hidden whereabouts and Hagrid's secret mission had something to do with this information. _

_On her journey to the address, she had heard more alarming rumors about the magic world, and all of them seemed to center on a most unfortunate event. "Did you hear? You-Know-Who was sighted in Godric's Hollow last night!" "Did you hear about the Potters? Blown to bits, by You-Know-Who himself! It destroyed the whole house, too!" "I heard the destruction of the house was because he tried to kill the son, and the son just stared hard back at him until his gaze drove You-Know-Who mad and he destroyed the house in his madness." "That's nonsense, I heard Lily was killed but James defeated You-Know-Who, with the help of his infant son!" "That's ridiculous, no infant can defeat You-Know-Who. He was probably killed with his parents, and You-Know-Who, having defeated the last of his powerful enemies, is in hiding, gathering his army to him so that he can take over the wizarding world." As she journeyed on, listening to these snatches of conversation, they resolved themselves into a more standard story. Putting the snatches together, she painted a fair picture of what probably happened. She had only to wait for Albus to confirm or deny her theories. Whatever her thoughts were, she knew one certainty—Albus knew exactly what was going on and he would not lie to her. _

Minerva blinked back the tears as she forced the memory to fade. She did not need to be seen by the other faculty members with tears streaming down her cheeks. Dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, she dried them and than noticed that the enchanted quill had stopped writing. Picking up the written letters, she placed them in front of her on the desk and than turned to whisper another command to the waiting quill—_Adparatus_.

Once the quill started on the next series of preset messages, Minerva turned back to the new stack in front of her. Now was as good a time as any to address them. She quickly ran through the list, lingering a little over Harry Potter's name (_Does he know about us? Does he know anything about our world?_).

An hour later, the letters were signed, sealed, and addressed, each envelope containing both the acceptance letter and the school supplies list. They were now sorted by their delivery method and Minerva had only to deliver them to the tiny owlry in Hogsmeade and then they would be on their way to forty households across the country. Gathering up the bundle, she swept out of the office, off to speak with Albus and then to Hogsmeade.


End file.
